People's Party Platform (1896)

The People's Party, assembled in National Convention, reaffirms its
allegiance to the principles declared by the founders of the
Republic, and also to the fundamental principles of just government
as enunciated in the platform of the party in 1892.

We recognize that through the connivance of the present and preceding
Administrations the country has reached a crisis in its National
life, as predicted in our declaration four years ago, and that prompt
and patriotic action is the supreme duty of the hour.

We realize that, while we have political independence, our financial
and industrial independence is yet to be attained by restoring to our
country the Constitutional control and exercise of the functions
necessary to a people's government, which functions have been basely
surrendered by our public servants to corporate monopolies. The
influence of European moneychangers has been more potent in shaping
legislation than the voice of the American people. Executive power
and patronage have been used to corrupt our legislatures and defeat
the will of the people, and plutocracy has thereby been enthroned
upon the ruins of democracy. To restore the Government intended by
the fathers, and for the welfare and prosperity of this and future
generations, we demand the establishment of an economic and financial
system which shall make us masters of our own affairs and independent
of European control, by the adoption of the following declarations of
principles:

The Finances

1. We demand a National money, safe and sound, issued by the General
Government only, without the intervention of banks of issue, to be a
full legal tender for all debts, public and private; a just,
equitable, and efficient means of distribution, direct to the people,
and through the lawful disbursements of the Government.

2. We demand the free and unrestricted coinage of silver and gold at
the present legal ratio of 16 to 1, without waiting for the consent
of foreign nations.

3. We demand that the volume of circulating medium be speedily
increased to an amount sufficient to meet the demand of the business
and population, and to restore the just level of prices of labor and
production.

4. We denounce the sale of bonds and the increase of the public
interest-bearing debt made by the present Administration as
unnecessary and without authority of law, and demand that no more
bonds be issued, except by specific act of Congress.

5. We demand such legislation as will prevent the demonetization of
the lawful money of the United States by private contract.

6. We demand that the Government, in payment of its obligation, shall
use its option as to the kind of lawful money in which they are to be
paid, and we denounce the present and preceding Administrations for
surrendering this option to the holders of Government
obligations.

7. We demand a graduated income tax, to the end that aggregated
wealth shall bear its just proportion of taxation, and we regard the
recent decision of the Supreme Court relative to the income-tax as a
misinterpretation of the Constitution and an invasion of the rightful
powers of Congress over the subject of taxation.

8. We demand that postal savings-banks be established by the
Government for the safe deposit of the savings of the people and to
facilitate exchange.

Railroads and Telegraphs

1. Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity,
the Government should own and operate the railroads in the interest
of the people and on a non-partisan basis, to the end that all may be
accorded the same treatment in transportation, and that the tyranny
and political power now exercised by the great railroad corporations,
which result in the impairment, if not the destruction of the
political rights and personal liberties of the citizens, may be
destroyed. Such ownership is to be accomplished gradually, in a
manner consistent with sound public policy.

2. The interest of the United States in the public highways built
with public moneys, and the proceeds of grants of land to the Pacific
railroads, should never be alienated, mortgaged, or sold, but guarded
and protected for the general welfare, as provided by the laws
organizing such railroads. The foreclosure of existing liens of the
United States on these roads should at once follow default in the
payment thereof by the debtor companies; and at the foreclosure sales
of said roads the Government shall purchase the same, if it becomes
necessary to protect its interests therein, or if they can be
purchased at a reasonable price; and the Government shall operate
said railroads as public highways for the benefit of the whole
people, and not in the interest of the few, under suitable provisions
for protection of life and property, giving to all transportation
interests equal privileges and equal rates for fares and freight.

3. We denounce the present infamous schemes for refunding these
debts, and demand that the laws now applicable thereto be executed
and administered according to their intent and spirit.

4. The telegraph, like the Post Office system, being a necessity for
the transmission of news, should be owned and operated by the
Government in the interest of the people.

The Public Lands

1. True policy demands that the National and State legislation shall
be such as will ultimately enable every prudent and industrious
citizen to secure a home, and therefore the land should not be
monopolized for speculative purposes. All lands now held by railroads
and other corporations in excess of their actual needs should by
lawful means be reclaimed by the Government and held for actual
settlers only, and private land monopoly, as well as alien ownership,
should be prohibited.

2. We condemn the land grant frauds by which the Pacific railroad
companies have through the connivance of the Interior Department,
robbed multitudes of bona-fide settlers of their homes and miners of
their claims, and we demand legislation by Congress which will
enforce the exemption of mineral land from such grants after as well
before the patent.

3. We demand that bona-fide settlers on all public lands be granted
free homes, as provided in the National Homestead Law, and that no
exception be made in the case of Indian reservations when opened for
settlement, and that all lands not now patented come under this
demand.

The Referendum

We favor a system of direct legislation through the initiative and
referendum, under proper Constitutional safeguards.

Direct Election of President and Senators by the People

We demand the election of President, Vice-President, and United
States Senators by a direct vote of the people...

The Territories

We favor home rule in the Territories and the District of Columbia,
and the early admission of the Territories as States.

Public Salaries

All public salaries should be made to correspond to the price of
labor and its products.

Employment to Be Furnished by Government

In times of great industrial depression, idle labor should be
employed on public works as far as practicable.

Arbitrary Judicial Action

The arbitrary course of the courts in assuming to imprison citizens
for indirect contempt and ruling by injunctions should be prevented
by proper legislation.

Pensions

We favor pensions for our disabled Union soldiers.

A Fair Ballot

Believing that the elective franchise and an untrammeled ballot are
essential to a government of, for, and by the people, the People's
party condemns the wholesale system of disfranchisement adopted in
some States as unrepublican and undemocratic, and we declare it to be
the duty of the several State legislatures to take such actions as
will secure a full, free and fair ballot and an honest count.

The Financial Question "The Pressing Issue" While the foregoing
propositions constitute the platform upon which our party stands, and
for the vindication of which its organization will be maintained, we
recognize that the great and pressing issue of the pending campaign,
upon which the present election will turn, is the financial question,
and upon this great and specific issue between the parties we
cordially invite the aid and co-operation of all organizations and
citizens agreeing with us upon this vital question.